The United Nations Environment Programme (UNEP), in partnership with the Center for International Forestry Research (CIFOR), is hosting a three-day conference titled ‘Forests Africa: Opportunities for a Green Economy’ from 17-19 September 2013 in Nairobi, Kenya.

The conference will be supported by the UN-REDD Programme, the World Agroforestry Center and will be open for partnerships with other organisations.

The event will provide a platform for key players from government, the private sector (formal and informal), civil society, media, as well as the research and development sectors, to openly discuss the challenges and opportunities that Africa’s forests present for the development and comparative advantage of the continent and its transition to a Green Economy.

The conference will aim to take a step toward repositioning forests within Africa’s economic and political landscape. In transitioning to a Green Economy, Africa will require economic growth pathways that are diversified, generate greater employment, produce higher outputs with lower inputs, reduce environmental risks and enhance competitiveness for African economies. The conference will increase awareness of the challenges and opportunities for forests to contribute to green economies at the local, national and regional levels through sustainable management, REDD+, trade of forest products and services, and inclusive processes. It will also identify the range of enabling policies required. Delivering on such a goal will require coordinated collaboration among a broad range of policy and non-state stakeholders - especially those from outside the forestry sector.

Conference Structure and Content

The conference is designed as a three-day event, divided into two parts. The first part, entitled ‘Experts and evidence workshop’, is a two-day session in which leading scientists and practitioners will present the latest research, experience and thinking on selected topics. This will then lead into a one-day policy conference in which key messages stemming from these workshop sessions will be presented for discussion to policymakers at the highest level from across Africa.

Enquiries: Daniel Cooney, E-mail: d.cooney@cgiar.org.

For more about the conference, refer to www.cifor.org/nairobi.html.

For more about the United Nations Environment Programme, refer to www.unep.org.

For more about the Center for International Forestry Research, refer to www.cifor.org.

The United Nations Environment Programme UNEP in partnership with the Center for International Forestry Research CIFOR is hosting a three-day conference titled ‘Forests Africa Opportunities for a Green Economy’ from 17-19 September 2013 in Nairobi Kenya The conference will be supported by the UN-REDD Programme the World Agroforestry Center and will be open for partnerships with other organisations The event will provide a platform for key players from government the private sector formal and informal civil society media as well as the research and development sectors to openly discuss the challenges and opportunities that Africa’s forests present for the development and comparative advantage of the continent and its transition to a Green Economy The conference will aim to take a step toward repositioning forests within Africa’s economic and political landscape In transitioning to a Green Economy Africa will require economic growth pathways that are diversified generate greater employment produce higher o